People’s personality can influence whether or not daily habits are healthy or unhealthy for the brain.
The new analysis focused on: conscientiousness, extraversion, openness to experience, neuroticism and agreeableness.
The studies included more than 44,000 people – of whom 1,703 went on to develop dementia.
A team at Northwestern University in Chicago reported that certain personality traits—conscientiousness, sociability, and positivity—seem to decrease a person’s chances of being diagnosed with dementia. On the other hand, being neurotic and more negative in outlook and behavior was linked to a greater risk of mental decline, the same study found, writes UPI.
People’s personalities can influence whether or not daily habits are healthy or unhealthy for the brain, explained a team led by researcher Eileen Graham, associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern.
“Neuroticism is linked to dementia decline, and people with neuroticism are more prone to anxiety, mood, and worry, while conscientious people are more likely to exercise, get and go to preventive medical appointments, and drink less” , Graham said in a university news release.
“So maybe that’s where an intervention to improve one’s health behaviors for better health outcomes might be useful,” Graham reasoned. The new analysis focused on what psychologists have long called the “Big Five” personality traits: conscientiousness, extraversion, openness to experience, neuroticism and agreeableness.
How negative traits affect you
Graham’s team analyzed data from eight studies. Together, the studies included more than 44,000 people – of whom 1,703 went on to develop dementia.
High scores on negative traits such as neuroticism and negative emotional states, plus low scores on conscientiousness, extraversion and positive affectivity, all appeared to increase the odds of dementia. Instead, the team found that high scores on openness to experience, agreeableness and life satisfaction were associated with a lower risk of brain decline.
These trends held even after the researchers removed other influences such as age, gender and education level. There was also no evidence that physical damage to the brain played a role in these findings, Graham and his colleagues noted.
Conversely, positive personality traits could, over the course of a lifetime, make people resistant to diseases like Alzheimer’s and other dementias—even if they’re not aware of it.
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2023-12-02 09:15:45
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